Azurrin Adventures
by ThatOneGuyThatWrites
Summary: A collection of stories about the Grey family, past, present, and future. Modern AU. Azura x Corrin
1. Chapter 1

" _There once was a girl who could sing and dance with unimaginable skill. She was beautiful and strong, and many noblemen tried to court her. The girl was resilient, for she preferred books and lakes to parties and grand meals._

 _For many months suitors came to her door, only to be turned away. In time she came to be known as the Ice Princess, for many thought she was cruel and her heart had frozen over._

 _Eventually, the girl's father had enough. "If you cannot find a husband suitable for you, then i will find one for you." He told her._

 _The girl was upset, so she ran away, fearful of her cruel father's choice. She ran for many days, eating what she could find and drinking form rivers._

 _Hungry and tired, the girl stumbled upon a cave at the base of a mountain overlooking open plains. She went inside, seeking shelter from the night._

 _Inside, she was shocked to find a great steel dragon resting upon a pile of golden treasures._

" _Who dares enter my cave?" The dragon asked._

" _My name is Aqua." The girl replied, her voice strong and proud._

" _Why do you not flee? Does a dragon of my size not frighten you?"_

 _Aqua placed a hand over her chest. "My father is a cruel man who would see me married to a monster. I would rather live among the animals than be with him."_

 _The dragon chuckled, amused. "You may stay here for as long as you like, if you have treasure." You see, dragons hoarded treasures. Gold, silver, coins, and gems. All were things dragons craved._

 _The girl nodded, unclasping a necklace laden with sparkling crystals. "There you are, dragon." She spoke, placing the necklace at the dragon's feet._

 _The dragon nodded and let her sleep. He let her drink from a spring nearby and showed her how to find delicious roots and berries. He brought back many deer and sheep to eat, and for a time all was well._

" _It has been three weeks." The dragon said one morning. "I need another treasure if you are to stay here."_

 _Nodding, Aqua gave him a ring from her left hand. The dragon was satisfied for a time._

" _It has been another three weeks." The dragon said again. "I am in need of another treasure from you."_

 _Aqua nodded, removing a ring from her right hand._

 _Time passed, and soon the Dragon would speak of his homeland to Aqua. He would tell her of the many different tribes and dragon cities. Aqua, in kind, would tell the dragon of her own home._

 _Time passed, until finally Aqua had run out of treasures to give the dragon._

" _If you cannot give me treasure, then I must ask you to leave." The dragon was reluctant to let her go, for she was the first friend he had made in many years._

 _Saddened, Aqua left, singing a sad tune to herself. The dragon had followed her, flying silently above to ensure she left his land. Aqua's song travelled far, and it soon reached the powerful ears of the dragon. It was shocked, for it had never heard anything of that beauty before._

 _It landed in front of her, moved almost to tears at the song's utter sadness._

" _Please." The dragon pleaded. "Sing a happy song."_

 _Aqua shook her head. "I cannot, for you have asked me to leave. I must return home to my cruel father."_

" _Return to my home." The dragon asked again. "And sing for me, that is all I ask."_

" _I won't have to give you treasures?"_

" _Your song is treasure enough."_

 _And so Aqua returned with the dragon, who finally revealed his name to be Kamui. The two sang everyday, happy and free. They fell in love, and Kamui prayed to the gods that he could become human. Moved by the dragon's pleas, the Gods allowed the dragon to transform into a human using a special gem, but in return, he must leave behind the treasures he had collected over the years._

 _Kamui agreed, and the next morning a special stone lay at the entrance to the cave, and the piles of gold and gems were gone. Kamui grabbed the stone, and was transformed into a human. He was tall and handsome, and Aqua could finally embrace him as a lover._

 _They lived together in the woods, hunting and farming. They had two children, strong like a dragon and graceful as a dancer._

 _They lived happily ever after."_

"Whoa..."

"Did you like it?" Azura asks as she closes the small leather journal.

Kana bounces in her bed, squeezing herself in a hug. "I loved it! Tell it again! Tell it again!"

Azura laughs in her melodic way and runs her hand through Kana's unruly hair. "It is past your bedtime, little dragon."

Kana slumps forward, her ears drooping. "Aww..."

"Goodnight, Kana." Azura kisses the girl on the cheek. "I love you."

"Love you mama!" Kana calls back. She dips beneath the covers, sliding down into the bed with only the top of her head poking out.

Azura gets up from her bedside and turns off the lamp, double-checking to ensure the nightlight was still plugged in. Azura closes the door with a quiet _click_ and moves on to her son's room. The boy was sitting beneath a large bay window, a book in hand.

Azura smirked at the cover. It was a collection of poetry, gifted to him by Nina. "Good night Shigure." She says with a knowing smile, and before Shigure can even reply his phone buzzes, a picture of Nina popping up on the screen.

Azura decides to leave, silently waving to him as he fumbles to reach his phone.

Finally Azura arrives at her own room, where Corrin is laying in bed. He's holding a small leather-bound journal above his head, scribbling into it with a pen. It looks very uncomfortable.

"Hey." Corrin greets, his attention never shifting from the book.

"Are you writing another story?" Azura asks, stripping into her nightclothes.

"Mhm." Corrin hums. The scratch of the pen on paper is noisy in the small room.

"Why are you writing so many stories." Azura asks. Catching his eye, she hurriedly adds; "Not that Kana nor I hate it. In fact Kana is quite in love with the new fairytales we have acquired."

"I want to create something personal for her. Shigure was raised on art and song, but Kana is a little more wild. She hardly has the patience to sit in one place for long." Corrin explains. "But stories are different. She could listen to them all day, it's quite remarkable."

"She is... excitable." Azura hums.

"If Kana insists on all these stories, isn't it more special to come from her father or mother? Why should we read her some mass-produced book when we could guide her with our _own_ words."

Azura smiles and slips into bed. "You are a talented storyteller." She compliments, placing a hand on Corrin's forearm. "Though it's getting late."

Corrin glances at the clock. "It's not even nine-thirty."

"And I was up at six cooking breakfast."

Corrin leans in close and kisses her nose. "I'm thankful for that. You could have woken me up."

"Mhm." Azura blushes and nestles closer to Corrin, settling onto the pillows. "You are always tired, you needed the extra hour."

Corrin closes the book he was writing in and turns off the lamp, snuggling close to his wife. "You just don't want to drive Shigure to art camp tomorrow."

Azura grins in the dark, her eyes glowing. "Maybe."

()()()()

Corrin tapped his fingers on the wheel happily as the radio blasted some pop tune he had never heard before.

"Thank you for the dinner last night.' Shigure says.

"Oh come now." Corrin grins. "You're leaving us for a whole month. The least your mother and I could do is take you out for dinner."

"Thank you, again."

"She'll miss you a great deal."

Shigure nods, "Mother was always doting in private."

"Your mother and I will miss you dearly, but I was talking about your sister."

"K-Kana?"

Corrin nods. "Of course. She thinks the world of you, even if she has trouble showing it in a proper way."

Shigure blushes and runs a hand through his long bangs. "I...know she loves me but..."

"Kana was the one who insisted we go out for dinner in the first place." Corrin says as they merge onto the international highway between Valla and Hoshido. "She wanted to pay for it, but her piggy bank couldn't afford even her own meal."

"I'll have to call her when we get there."

Corrin smiles and pats Shigure on the arm. "Good boy."

Shigure rolls his eye but says nothing.

Taking a deep breath, Corrin became tense and solemn. He leaned over and lowered the radio volume. "Son, there comes a time in every man's life where we must talk about a very important matter. Since you're going to be on your own for a long time, and anything could happen, we should talk about it."

Shigure blushes and looks out the passenger window. "Father, I-I know about the... uh... birds and the bees."

"Not that." Corrin says, a hint of a smirk breaking through his face. "I'm talking about how every man needs to know about Updog."

"Updog?" Shigure says, cocking his head. "What... what is Updog?"

Corrin smothers a laugh with one hand, the other gripping the wheel tightly. Shigure shakes his head, confused.

"Father, what is Updog?"

Corrin bursts out laughing, tears springing to the corner of his eyes. Realization slowly dawns on Shigure, who can only palm his face and groan.

"Father..."

()()()()

Corrin slumps down onto the couch many hours later, exhausted. "Driving is more tiring than I thought..."

Azura slides up beside him, tucking her legs beneath her. She passes him a glass of wine, her own held in the other hand. Corrin nods and takes the drink, gulping down half of it before taking a gasping breath.

"Thanks, dear." He says, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"You have good reason to be tired." Azura sips at her wine. "You drove for the entire day."

"I wanted to call you on the drive home, but Camilla called me first." Corrin says.

"Oh? And she talked to you for that long a time?"

"Well, first it was Camilla, then Elise, and they prompted me to call Hinoka and Sakura, which turned into calling pretty much everyone."

"Everyone but your darling wife?" Azura mock pouts.

Corrin leans over and kisses her cheek. "I had something better than a phone call in mind."

"Oh?" Azura smiles, a wicked glint in her eye. "And what would that be?"

"Well, how about we-"

"PAPA!"

Corrin hides the disappointment on his face expertly, swivelling around to find Kana scrambling up the back of the couch. The girl crests the top of the couch, tumbling forward in a mess of bring pink pyjamas and blue hair.

"You're home!" She grins from her position upside-down in Corrin's lap, her feet dangling off the front of the couch.

"And you're supposed to be in bed." Azura tuts, carefully moving her wine glass away from Kana's wild flailing.

"I heard Papa come home though..." She pouts.

Corrin placed a hand on Kana's stomach, holding her down. "Do you know what happens to little girls who don't go to bed on time?"

Kana stills immediate, her mouth opening in a silent, horrific scream. "Pa...Papa..."

Corrin presses slightly harder, careful not to hurt her. "They get..."

Azura slides away from Corrin, taking the wine glass from his hand. She quickly gets to the safety of the armchair opposite the couch.

"Papa, no!"

"THEY GET TICKLED!"

Kana screeches and Corrin brings his other hand up to tickle her sides. She fails wildly, kicking Corrin in the chest a few times by accident as she laughs and cries.

Kana manages to scramble out of Corrin's grasp. Landing on the floor, her bare feet scramble against the hardwood before sprinting off upstairs. Corrin follows seconds later, roaring and laughing.

()()()()

With Kana back in bed, the couple returns to sitting on the couch. The TV plays some old action flick, though the volume is near mute. A motion to respect Kana's rather light sleep pattern.

"I think we should get a dinner and a movie."

"Oh my, are you asking me out on a _date_?" Azura replies, bringing a hand to her mouth in mock shock.

Corrin rolls his eyes and sips his wine. "I'm serious, you know. A movie, dinner, drive around a bit, get lost on some country roads. Stuff we used to do in high school."

"And Kana?"

Corrin nods. "She could spend some time with one of her grandmothers, or Lilith. I'm sure Arete wouldn't mind a visit."

Azura smiles. "It has been a while since I've seen mother."

"So how about it?" Corrin smiles at her.

Azura leans her head on Corrin's shoulder, looking at the TV. "I'd love to go out with you." She says.

Corrin chuckles. "I should have written a note and left a check box for 'Yes' or 'No.'"

 _ **A/N: Special thanks to TheApocryphalOne for reviewing all the time. 3. And curse you FE Heroes, for taking $250 and not giving me my Songstress wife.**_

 _ **I may have a problem...**_


	2. Chapter 2

_Many years ago_

 _Corrin eats his food silently, staring straight ahead. Mikoto sits beside him, making small talk with the evil girl across the table._

" _So, Lilith, how old are you?"_

" _Uhm..." Lilith begins, glancing over at Corrin. "I-I'll be nine years old in a few days..."_

" _That's wonderful!" Mikoto says, clapping her hands together. "We'll make a cake and get you a present, won't we Cory?"_

 _Corrin mumbles around the fork in his mouth, staring at the horrible artwork of a barn at sunset hanging on the wall._

" _Corrin." Mikoto says, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. Corrin stares up at his mother, a little afraid._

" _R-right..." He says, glancing at Lilith. When he's sure his mother can't see his face, Corrin glares at Lilith and shakes his head._

 _Lilith's lip quivers, but she remains quiet._

 _()()()()_

 _Corrin kicks his foot against the sand, digging a small trench underneath the swingset he's sitting on. Beside him, Azura remains quiet as ever._

" _I just don't like her." Corrin says._

" _She's your sister, now." Azura says, speaking for the first time that day._

" _But why should I have to like her? Mom makes a huge deal about it, but she's just proof that Dad never loved her."_

 _Azura stays silent, letting Corrin speak._

" _How long did Dad cheat on Mom? Lilith is only three years younger than I am, so it's got to be a long time, right?" Corrin scowls at the sand. "I hate her."_

 _Azura never says anything after that, but Corrin is thankful for the silence. He's happy to have her for a friend, even if Silas says girls have cooties. Azura was different than those girls. He was sure of it. None of the others in his class would even go near him._

 _Corrin's scowl only deepens as he spots Lilith approaching from the other side of the playground._

" _Miko-" Lilith begins, but corrects herself. "Mother wants us to head home. Azura's mom is here to pick her up."_

 _Corrin doesn't say anything to Lilith, but turns to Azura and gives her a hug. "I'll see you later."_

 _Azura nods, giving Lilith a slight nod as well, and goes off to find her mother._

 _Corrin frowns and glares at Lilith a moment longer. He takes off in a sprint, eager to get home and to his own room, away from the intruder._

 _()()Present()()_

Nina grunts as the car bounces on the dirt road. Up until now its been six-and-a-half hours of smooth highways. She supposes its because they're finally nearing the art camp. Not that she knew _exactly_ where they were, the trunk of a car was dark after all.

The car comes to a stop and Nina knows she has only a few seconds to act. The engine turns off and the trunk clicks open. _Perfect._ Nina pushes the trunk hood open and throws herself out of the car, she lands on sore and wobbly legs, but luckily there's a large bush a few feet away.

Nina takes a few pained steps and throws herself into the bush, taking deep breaths. After a second she peers through the leaves, ensuring that she was not seen by anyone. She breaths a sigh of relief, Shigure and his dad were both standing at either side of the car, doors open, admiring the view.

She groans lowly, collapsing onto the dirt.

She made it.

Somehow, she made it.

()()()()

Shigure was slightly concerned when Nina told him she was going to meet him at art camp. It wasn't a cheap program and Nina's family wasn't as well-off as his own.

Shigure was even more concerned when he spotted the trunk fly open through the rear-view mirror, followed by a set of purple braids.

Corrin was already about to get out of the car, but Shigure quickly grabbed his attention. Shigure opened his door and sprang to his feet, pointing to the mountains. "Look, father. W-what a view!" Shigure ended it with a shaky chuckle, his bangs thankfully hiding his face from Corrin.

"Huh, it has been a while since I've been to Hoshido. Looks better than I remember." Corrin says, leaning on the door for a moment to admire the snow-capped mountains. "Well," He claps his hands. "Let's get your suitcase and head inside." He points to a large log cabin down a small trail.

"R-right." Shigure nods. He looks for Nina, but the girl had seemingly disappeared.

()()()()

Corrin grins as Kana leads him across the grass, her hands small in Corrin's.

Tonight was the "Daddy-Daughter Dance." Kana, of course, had tried to learn singing like her mother and brother, but she found herself in dance.

Dance was more energetic and explosive, or it was when Kana was dancing. She preferred to move and jump, rather than simply sway with gentle, practised motions like Corrin was used to. It was quite evident as Kana moved through the grass.

"C'mon Papa!" Kana giggles, jumping into the air. Corrin catches her by the waist and swings her around. She lands with a grunt, bare feet kicking up dirt. It's hardly graceful, but Kana's laughing and wiping the sweat from her brow with glee.

"That was good." Azura comments from the grill. She looks down and flips the small burgers.

"Landing is still a little shaky." Corrin says. "But I think we're doing just fine." He leans down and pokes Kana's tummy. "Don't eat too much, okay? We'll get some food _after_ the dance."

"Yes Papa!" Kana chirps.

()()()()

"I can't believe it." Shigure says, leaning against the wall of the large log cabin. It's dark out, and Shigure's already breaking curfew on his first night.

"What?" Nina pouts. "I thought that was one of my better acts of roguish heroism."

"Nina." Shigure sighs. "You hid in the trunk of my dad's car for gods know how long and _now_ you're breaking into a fairly exclusive _and_ expensive art camp! What were you thinking!?"

"I was thinking about spending summer with my boyfriend in the Hoshidian mountains." She folds her arms. "But fine, I guess I'll just call my mom and get her to pick me up."

Shigure sighs again. "Nina... wait."

Nina raises an eyebrow, sliding her cellphone back into her pocket.

"How are you going to convince the staff that you're a part of this camp?"

Nina grins and holds up an official-looking letter. "I know a guy who knows a guy... who knows a guy. He got his hands on some official 'Make-A-Dream,' letterheads."

Shigure brings a hand to his forehead and nods for her to continue, already fearing for what was going to happen next.

"Basically," Nina continues, "This latter says that I, Nina Millicent Nohrana, am a 17-year old girl who is suffering from a deadly form of cancer."

"Dusk Dragon..." Shigure curses under his breath.

Nina smirks and pushes the paper at Shigure. "It's all official-sounding words and whatnot, but with changed contact info. When they call this number," She shoves her finger into the page, nearly ripping it, "A friend of a friend of a friend answers, as a Make-A-Dream staff member. They talk, and they convince the staff to let me stay here for a little vacation before I return to hospice care in the remote regions of Izumo. Clever, right?"

Shigure just stands there, shocked.

Nina rolls her eyes and pats Shigure's shoulder. "I'll make sure the story works, 'kay? Just focus on your art and I can write and find some other... art thing to make my story work, and we're golden!" She smiles at Shigure. "Great! See you tomorrow!" Nina leans upwards and kisses him on the cheek.

And then she's gone, leaving a thoroughly confused and concerned Shigure alone.

"Gods..." Shigure mumbles, swiping at his bangs with one hand. "Good gods..."

()()()()

"Papa..." Kana says quietly from the edge of the stage.

"Yes?"

"T-there's a lot of people out there..." She's shaking slightly, her hands curled into little balls.

Corrin realizes that his daughter has never really preformed for such a large crowd. It dawns on him that Kana is her mother's daughter, and while loud and easy going with her friends, Kana is still shy with strangers. Not nearly as introverted, but there's still some in there.

Corrin kneels beside Kana, looking through a small gap in the ornate red curtains. The crowd is a sea of grey and black blobs, hidden by blinding stage lights.

Two judges sit at the front of the masses. While the dance is mainly for fun and raising money for charity, small prizes were still being given away. It was no formal affair, the judges were merely staff members of the dance hall they were in, but to Kana it was a whole lot more.

"Kana-bean." Corrin says, spinning her away from the crowd. "I want you to know that I'm proud of you, and that you are stronger than the nervousness you're feeling now."

"I-I dunno..." Kana scuffs her shoes off the stage floor.

"Do you want to go home?" Corrin asks.

Kana shakes her head. "I really want to do this Papa." She says with surprising determination. "But..."

"It's nerve wracking, right?"

Kana nods.

"Kana-bean, when I was young I was with your mother at a place like this. It was her first time ever singing in front of a crowd. Before that Mama only preformed in front of me, your grandma, and Auntie Arete. She was really nervous and she got so scared she was crying backstage."

"Mama cried?" Kana squeaks.

Corrin nods. "So I went back there to find her, even though I wasn't supposed to be back there. I found her sitting in a corner. You know what I did?"

"You encouraged her she could do it?" Kana asks, slightly hopeful.

Corrin shakes his head, silently thankful for Kana's story-loving nature. "I sat down beside her and started crying too."

"W-why!?"

Corrin smiles softly. "I don't know. I certainly did not know what to say, and I didn't know what to do. So I just sat there and cried with her." Corrin takes a breath. "When it came time for her to preform, she just hugged me and cried some more, until Auntie Arete found us."

"Your Mama didn't sing that night. She missed her chance, and it took her another year or so before she ever even _tried_ to sing in front of anyone again. But look at her now." Corrin says grinning widely. "She teaches others how to sing because she's so good."

Corrin grabs Kana's hand and rubs it affectionately. "I know you're good at dancing, Kana-bean. And I know you love to dance. So it doesn't matter who's watching, right? Just think of it as you and me having fun."

"Just me and Papa..." Kana says, looking down for a moment. "Is... is it okay if I don't look at the people?"

Corrin nods.

"O-okay." Kana says, her grip on Corrin's hand tight and strong.

()()()()

Kana smiles and blushes, half-hidden behind Azura's legs.

"Really she was great." The judge says, holding out a small envelope.

"Thank you." Azura says, taking the envelope and stepping to the side, exposing Kana. Azura leans down a bit and nudges her forward. "What do you say, Kana?"

"Thanks Miss Strober..." She says, thoroughly embarrassed by all the attention. Azura hands her the envelope and continues speaking to the dance studio staff. Kana flips the envelope over, noticing a large '3rd Place,' inscribed in red ink on the front.

Kana smiles wider and hugs the letter to her chest.

()()()()

Shigure laughs. "I wish I was there."

"It was super cool!" Kana says, her voice cracking over the phone. "Anyways, I gotta go! Me and Mama are gonna go to the pool today!"

"Tell mother I said hello." Shigure says. Kana hangs up with a hurried 'Bye big bro!' Leaving Shigure alone in his cabin. Normally he would be out painting, but the first hike of the day wasn't supposed to start for another hour or so.

Nina sitting on his bed scribbling in her journal wasn't so bad either.

"What did Kana do?" Nina asks, closing the leather journal with a _thud_.

Shigure grins and leans forward. "She won third place in a dancing contest. A free family meal at Peri's Pizza and a small ribbon. She's super excited."

Nina smiles a little. "I bet. I kinda want a little bro sometimes."

Shigure nods. "A sibling... can be taxing. But she's my sweet little sister and I love her to death."

Nina catches his eye, and they both stare at each other for some time.

()()()()

Corrin wishes he was at the pool with his family.

Instead, he's sitting in the waiting room of Valla's finest Psychiatric hospital. He doesn't like it. The attempts to make it seem less medical and bland all felt too unreal. It was like they were trying too hard to make it seem homely. It was slightly unsettling, even after the many times he had visited in the past.

He taps his foot, sighing.

A door opens across the hall.

"Corrin? Your father is ready to see you."

 **A/N - Still no Azura in Heroes. My rituals of sacrificing Cipher Cards aren't working. Time to move on to goats. Thanks to all the reviews, you have no idea how much it means to me.**


	3. Chapter 3

Corrin looks down and nods. "I understand, Anankos."

Anankos's eyes never stay in one spot for more than a handful of seconds. It's almost as if he has more than two eyes, constantly searching for danger.

"But... what about..." Anankos says, straining to remember. "Mee... Meh..." He struggles to find the words.

"Mikoto?" Corrin offers with little warmth.

Anankos nods rapidly. "Yes yes yes!" He tenses, eyes glancing to the window. "How is she..."

"Good." Corrin sighs. "Mikoto is doing good."

"And my son?" Anankos asks, looking at Corrin harshly for a moment. "His birthday is coming up... he's..." Anankos thinks for a moment. "Four... He'll be turning four in a few weeks..."

"Right." Corrin nods. "I'll be sure to let your son, Corrin, know."

"Your name is Corrin as well!" Anankos reels back, bracing himself on the chair. "Did you hurt my son!?"

"No." Corrin shakes his head. "Your son is doing quite well for himself."

"Right." Anankos says, still suspicious.

"Listen, Anankos. I have to go, but keep taking your medicine, okay? The nurses are saying you keep spitting them out." Corrin says as he leaves the room.

Anankos glares at the stranger as he leaves.

()()()()

Corrin leans against Azura, staring straight ahead. Azura runs a gentle hand up and down his arm.

"Is he any better?" Azura asks softly.

"No change." Corrin sighs. "I don't think he'll _ever_ get better, Az. He's almost sixty. I think they're just keeping him alive... until..."

Azura stays silent for a time, both laying in the comfort of their bed.

"Tomorrow Mother is coming by to pick up Kana." She finally speaks.

Corrin smiles, happy at the bit of good news. "Great!" Corrin adjusts his pillows and falls back onto the mattress. "How long is Kana going to stay with her?"

Azura follows Corrin into the mattress. "The weekend. Mother says she has two whole days planned, just her and her granddaughter." Azura smiles widely.

Corrin's heart melts at the sight and he cannot resist the temptation to squeeze his wife. "Kana'll love it."

"So..." Azura smiles, her eyes becoming more mischievous. "What about the weekend? What are we going to do?"

"Oh, I hadn't thought of it." Corrin teases. "But how about this; brunch in bed, courtesy of yours truly. Followed by an entire afternoon of laying in bed watching movies and making out. Then we get dressed, drive out into the country, and see what kind of adventures we can get into."

Azura nods and kisses his collarbone. "I like all of it..." She pulls back a bit. "But I am not eating your brunch."

()()()()

Corrin's barely taken a bite of his toast before the front door explodes in frantic banging. He hears Azura open the door, a few words spoken, and then he's assaulted by his 'Sister,' Camilla.

"Where is my Nina!?" Camilla says, the usual teasing and warmth vacant from her words.

"I... what?"

"Nina disappeared!"

Corrin stands and grabs Camilla, leading her to the chair opposite him at the kitchen table. He grips her tightly, flashing a look at Azura. Azura nods in understanding, retreating upstairs to intercept Kana before the girl can come for breakfast.

"Deep breath." Corrin instructs. "Now, tell me what happened."

Camilla takes a tense breath in through her nose, clenching her hands against the table. "Nina wasn't home for curfew two days ago. I called her, she said she was over at Soleil's house. I drove over in the morning to get her but she had never spent the night there."

Camilla took another shaky breath, tears in her eyes. "Nina wasn't answering my calls, not until late yesterday. She said _you_ drove her to Shigure's art camp." The last words were said with venom, making Corrin tremble. Camilla had never taken such a dangerous tone with him before.

"Camilla." Corrin begins. "I swear I did not drive your daughter to art camp. It was just Shigure and I."

Camilla stares at him for a moment, her eyes hard. "Call him."

"What?"

"Call him." Camilla repeats. "I want to talk to Shigure."

Corrin nods. "Alright, if that makes you feels better."

()()()()

Shigure groans and runs a hand through his hair. He was never good at waking up, a trait he wishes he did not inherit from his father. Though it also did not help it was one of the most uncomfortable sleeps of his life.

The bed was far too hot, Nina was elbowing him constantly, and she snored. He wished that Nina had spent the night in her own room, but she had insisted. Shigure wondered just how overheated Nina was, considering she hadn't even removed her favourite sweater before curling up under the covers.

Shigure blushed, it was the first time he had ever slept beside Nina. Not that they did anything other than talk and kiss a little, but he felt his heart skip a few beats at the memory.

His phone vibrates against the floor, and Shigure reaches down to grab it. He fumbles a few times before finally grabbing it and answering without checking to see who was calling.

"Hello?"

" _Shigure?"_

Shigure clears his throat. "Ahem- Morning Father."

"Hey, sorry to call you so early, but Camilla is here and wondering if you know where Nina is."

Shigure tenses. Of course Nina didn't tell her parents her plans. "Erm, actually she's at the same art camp as I am."

Beside Shigure, Nina groans and rolls over. Shigure tenses and gets out of bed, moving to the other end of the small room.

" _What?_ "

()()()()

Camilla groans and tents her arms on the table. "Dusk Dragon..." She curses. "Nina will be the death of me."

Corrin smiles. "I thought Niles would be the death of you." He stands. "Anyways, do you want anything? Breakfast?" He holds up his mostly-intact piece of toast.

Camilla stands and hugs him. "No thanks, sweetie. Sorry for barging in like this..."

"I get it." Corrin says. "Nina was possibly in trouble. Don't worry about that kind of thing."

"Thank you, but I'll go." Camilla says, adjusting her purse and walking to the door. Corrin follows, taking another bite of toast.

"Oh, one more thing."

Corrin raises his eyebrows.

"Shigure better not propose."

()()()()

Arete smiles as Kana flips through the photo album.

"Whoa! Mama was so small!"

Arete grins and runs a hand through her granddaughter's hair. "You were that small only a little while ago."

Kana nods and flips the page. A few old photos dot the paper, mostly of Corrin and Azura together. In fact she had little pictures of them alone.

In one photo both are wearing swimsuits in a small kiddie pool, Azura looks happy, though not as excited as Corrin. Arete can practically hear Corrin screaming in joy like he always used to.

"Aww!" Kana grins and points at a picture. "Were my parents always in love?"

Arete leans forward and examines the picture herself. It shows a picture of both Azura and Corrin in pink and yellow onesies, respectively. They are both asleep on the floor of the old playroom at Mikoto's house. Azura lays on her back, hair splayed in every direction. Corrin is holding tight to Azura's midsection, his head resting on Azura's tummy. A half-fallen blanket fort surrounds the two.

"Well..." Arete begins. "They were almost always together when they were little, so it was no surprise when they told us they were in love. Although Mikoto and I knew long before they told us. It was quite endearing, actually."

()()()()

Azura laughs as Corrin belts out the chorus, his voice horribly off-key.

"Crocodile rockin' was a-a outt of siiight!"

Azura holds back a laugh, just managing to get out her own line. "Laaaaaa la-la-la-la-la-laaaaaa," She tries to continue, but falls into a fit of giggles.

Corrin opens his mouth but the only thing that escapes is a squeaky laugh, and Corrin pulls over to the side of the road. He laughs and laughs, Azura actually wiping tears from her eyes.

Corrin takes a deep breath and relaxes back into the car seat. He takes a look around the empty countryside. Fields stretch to his left, bordered by forests. To his left is a small copse of trees, and faintly he can spot a lake glistening in the dying sunlight.

"Hey, Az." He says, motioning towards the lake.

Azura clears her eyes and looks over, gasping at the sight. "I can't believe you drove us _here_."

Corrin smiles and runs his hands around the steering wheel. "Well, I wasn't _actually_ planning on coming to this place, it just... sorta happened."

Azura giggles and kicks off her shoes. "Let's go!" She cheers, already halfway out of the car.

Corrin chuckles and kicks off his own shoes, only to regret it as he plants his bare feet on the painfully rocky road. Azura was lucky enough to have grass on her side.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Corrin chants, stepping quickly to the safety of the grass. He grabs Azura's outstretched hand and they take off into the woods, laughing like they did so many years ago.

()()()()

Arete grins as Kana struggles to stay awake. "Past your bedtime?" She teases, pausing the Disney movie.

"Nu-uh!" Kana argues, though she can hardly hold herself up. "I was just so excited to spend the weekend with you that I didn't sleep last night..." Her voice trails off, and before Arete can get another word in Kana collapses onto the couch.

Arete smiles and collects Kana in her arms. The girl is surprisingly light. Arete takes her to the guest bedroom, Azura's old room, and tucks her in.

Smiling, Arete clears her throat and sings a soft lullaby to Kana.

 _I haven't sung like this in years_... Arete thinks. _How... wonderful._


End file.
